CPKC signals, communications workers on strike

Sixty unionized signals and communications workers employed by Canadian Pacific Kansas City Limited railway in Winnipeg are on strike.

They are members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, whose 300 members nationwide started labour action on Monday.

The workers install, repair and maintain railway communication and signalling machinery on the CPKC network. The union said its 72-hour strike notice expired Sunday morning after months of bargaining over wages, employees’ expenses and concerns about work-life balance.

Winnipeg members gathered outside the CPKC Winnipeg Intermodal Terminal on Keewatin Street. Their pay has “fallen significantly behind the other signals and communication groups and other employers,” said Jason Sommer, senior general chairman of the union’s rail division.

“We’ve had to exercise our right to withdraw our services,” Sommer said Monday. “Winnipeg has a major terminal area, as does, obviously, Calgary, Port Coquitlam, B.C., Toronto … so you will see some picketing because of that.”

In a statement Sunday, CPKC said rail service would continue despite the strike.

“After spending months bargaining in good faith, CPKC is disappointed that a work stoppage could not be prevented,” the statement reads.

“CPKC has presented a fair and balanced proposal with wage and benefit increases consistent with collective agreements currently in place with all our other unions across Canada.”

Both CPKC and the union said they expect no interruption to rail service.

“What our withdrawal of services is going to do is it’s going to impact the company’s ability to expedite their freight shipments,” Sommer said.

“The speed on the network, it’s going to slow it down, but it’s not going to stop it, and it’s certainly not going to undermine safety in any way.”

The union said the strike is backed by a 96 per cent mandate vote from its members.

malak.abas@freepress.mb.ca